Our 2026 Journey Begins

Notre Dame opens its highly anticipated 2026 season on Sunday night on the hallowed ground of Lambeau Field. The Fighting Irish take on the Wisconsin Badgers in a Shamrock Series game originally scheduled in 2020. COVID interrupted those plans after Notre Dame had beaten the Badgers in 2019 at Soldier Field in Chicago. The subsequent changes within these programs and throughout all of college football were unimaginable back then. That aside, each team needs to make a statement in this game. NBC and Peacock will provide national television coverage from Green Bay starting at 7:30 PM Eastern Time.

Irish head coach Marcus Freeman and Wisconsin's Luke Fickell were working together at Cincinnati six short years ago. Freeman was the Defensive Coordinator (DC) under Fickell until leaving for South Bend in January 2021. After one season as Notre Dame's DC, Freeman ascended to the top job when Brian Kelly cut and ran. One year later, Fickell departed Cincinnati to take over in Madison. Their respective fortunes have diverged significantly since then. Freeman is 43-12 and beloved at Notre Dame while Fickell is a disappointing 17-21 for the Badgers. His seat is widely characterized in the media as very warm.

Several factors have plagued the Badgers in the Fickell era. One criticism is that the program had lost its identity as a power running machine. A more obvious issue is that Wisconsin was late to the party regarding the advent of NIL. They also did not warmly embrace the transfer portal as a roster building tool. Badger faithful need only consider the path of fellow Big-10 mediocrity Indiana when evaluating their own struggles. The Hoosiers turned themselves into a national powerhouse through their aggressive portal and NIL strategy. They also hired a head coach who pushed them in that direction. Badger fans wonder if something similar could happen in Wisconsin.

Fickell responded to this question during the offseason. He orchestrated a complete program reset in schemes, training methods, and personnel evaluation. The Badgers brought in 27 transfers. As many as 12 are expected to earn starting roles. This includes quarterback Colton Joseph, tailback Abu Sama, and four of five members of the secondary. It will be interesting to see how these players mesh over the course of the year. Unfortunately for Fickell, this matchup against a loaded Irish squad is no way to ease into the season.

Despite the challenges his team faces, Badger coach was philosophical about his 2026 team. "We have a lot of unknowns", he said. "I think that's the beauty of it, right? I mean, we got a new quarterback that we feel really good about. I'm sure you'll ask questions about him. But we also have never seen him truly play a game and look in the eyes of those things. And so that's what I think us as coaches, what continues to drive us and motivate us, but also keep us up at night. And so excited about getting to the 6th, that's for sure."

Meanwhile, Freeman and Notre Dame are still haunted by their own failures last September. They have reevaluated their offseason preparation regimen and made unspecified changes. A significant advantage for the Irish is they return so many experienced players, led by quarterback CJ Carr. The fact that Freeman's Coordinators are back also helps immensely. No one needs to learn new schemes or terminology. In short, Notre Dame should hit the ground running. Freeman knows there will be no acceptable excuses if they do not.

On the injury front, the Irish lost guard Matty Augustine to a broken foot last month. He is expected to return in late October. Fellow guard Charles Jagusah remains out indefinitely with a broken humerus after missing the 2025 season. Wideout Quincy Porter is also sidelined with a knee issue that has been slow to heal. Linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, who is recovering from last season's ACL tear, is listed as questionable. Finally, it should be noted that Adon Shuler lost his father earlier this week. This was an unexpected tragedy and it is not yet known whether Shuler will elect to play on Sunday.

The Badgers also have a few injury concerns. Starting offensive linemen Emerson Mandell and Kevin Heywood have practiced sparingly in the past few weeks. Fickell said he will not know until Sunday if they will play. Both seem unlikely to start based on various insider reports.

NOTRE DAME'S OFFENSE vs. WISCONSIN'S DEFENSE

Offensive Coordinator Mike Denbrock is in a good place regarding his starting quarterback. Most of his skill position players, however, are question marks. At tailback, junior Aneyas Williams is the only known commodity. He can run, catch, and is a willing blocker. Behind Williams is Kedren Young, who returns to the field after missing the 2025 season due to knee surgery. Untested sophomore Nolan James is next, followed by two talented freshmen. Javian Osborne is better known of the two because Jonaz Walton missed spring practice with a wrist injury. What happens when Williams needs a breather is anyone's guess. There is plenty of talent within this group but as yet it is unproven.

Wide receiver is another area that is shrouded in mystery. Jordan Faison is a known, valuable commodity and is clearly Carr's favorite target. Jaden Greathouse is back after an injury plagued 2025. Can he or anyone else become an elite receiver this season? Transfer Mylan Graham from Ohio State has all the necessary physical gifts. Will they translate into production? Junior Micah Gilbert has earned the job as the starter at field receiver. He has flashed impressive skills in the past but can he become a consistent and reliable target?

Others in the rotation include lacrosse star Matt Jeffery, Elijah Burress, Cam Williams, Logan Saldate, and Jerome Bettis. Freshman Bubba Frazier has impressed the coaches with elite speed and quickness. He could see action at the slot receiver position. Will any of these players separate from the pact to solidify the passing attack?

Veteran tight end Cooper Flanagan is healthy after missing virtually all of 2025 while recovering from an Achilles tear. He and backup James Flanigan are valued more for their blocking ability rather than as receivers. Role players Ty Washington and Jack Larsen round out the rotation. Can any of these players deliver clutch third down and red zone receptions? Many Irish observers believe the future belongs to freshman sensation Ian Premer. They may be proven correct in time but Premer has been on campus for only two months.

In short, Carr, Williams, and Faison are the only certain skill position commodities. We will see who takes a step forward and if Denbrock can cobble together a diverse, dynamic attack.

Fortunately, the offensive line looks solid. It should create running lanes while also giving Carr time in the pocket. Ashton Craig is back at center following ACL surgery. Tackles Will Black and Guerby Lambert are large, athletic and physical players. Left guard Anthonie Knapp may be the best of the group. The only shuffling has occurred at right guard where Jagusah and Augustine are not available. Sullivan Absher played the position last season and should start on Sunday. He will be spelled by Owen Strebig, who had an impressive fall camp.

Wisconsin will counter with a defense geared toward stopping the run. Fickell imported two transfers at defensive tackle to shore up the middle. His sophomore linebackers, Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano, are studs. End Sebastian Cheeks provides juice in the pass rush and will test Black and Lambert. Both linebackers are capable blitzers who were productive as freshmen.

The Badger secondary is the largest question mark. Only safety Matthew Jung played in Madison last season. The other four starters are new transfers led by cornerback Javan Robinson from Arizona State. Notre Dame will attempt to take advantage of the fact that Sunday will be their first game together. Although the Irish are advertised as a run first team, I expect Denbrock to call more passes this season.

WISCONSIN'S OFFENSE vs. NOTRE DAME'S DEFENSE

Joseph is an exceptional athlete who starred for Old Dominion during the past two seasons. He ran for a pair of long touchdowns against Indiana and provides a dual threat to Wisconsin's attack. Joseph is a capable although not elite passer in terms of accuracy. He throws the deep ball well and more frequently than most college quarterbacks. Notre Dame's containment plan should mirror the strategy used against Taylen Green of Arkansas last season. The Irish contained him in the pocket and forced him to throw under duress. Chaos ensued for the Razorbacks.

Fickell also wants to reestablish the running game as a staple of Badger football. He brought in Sama to be his lead back. Although Sama lacks top end speed, he breaks tackles and is adept at finding a seam to run through. Wisconsin's best blockers are center Austin Kawecki and left tackle PJ Wilkins. Both are incoming transfers. If Mandell and Heywood are unable to play on the right side, the Badgers will likely run left. Joseph may also be running for his life.

Wide receiver is a huge question mark for this team. The starting trio of Tyrell Henry, Eugene Hilton, and Chris Brooks caught a combined 24 passes in 2025. Each of their backups is an incoming transfer that is still learning the playbook. Tight end Jacob Harris recorded 19 receptions and five touchdowns for Bowling Green last season. Nizyi Davis, a true freshman, backs up Harris.

Notre Dame's secondary has a significant advantage in this matchup, even if Shuler is not available. Wisconsin lacks proven weapons in the passing game and Joseph will be hard pressed to find open receivers. If the Irish can stay in man coverage, they will blitz Joseph from multiple angles. I would love to have Viliamu-Asa at full strength but Notre Dame probably will not need him. There are plenty of other players to watch on this defense. Ends Bryce Young and Boubacar Traore, along with freshman safety Joey O'Brien are on my list. At linebacker, both Drayk Bowen and Madden Faraimo are healthy after playing through nagging injuries in 2025.

Irish kicker Spenser Porath has been impressive in fall camp although he did have one poor scrimmage recently. Hopefully, he will be tested in this game and quell any concerns. Kicking issues have plagued the program over the past two years. It is time to turn a weakness into a strength.

Punter Jasper Scaife is a young Australian with a howitzer for a leg. Expectations that he can make it rain in Green Bay are high. The return and cover teams will be loaded with quality athletes. Faison and Greathouse will return punts while any one of the running backs could return kickoffs. As always, Notre Dame fans should pay attention when the Irish are in punt formation. Anything can happen.

Wisconsin has a veteran kicker in Gavin Lahm. The issue is that Lahm has been exclusively a kickoff specialist throughout his college career. He has never attempted a field goal or extra point in a game. Similarly, Badger punter Sean West has yet to attempt a punt in live action. Expect Notre Dame to exert maximum pressure in these moments. Henry, the starting slot receiver, is the primary return man for kickoffs and punts.

While Notre Dame has question marks at the offensive skill positions, the Badgers have a dearth of NFL level talent in this category. Joseph will have to play exceptionally well to put double-digit points on the board. This Irish defense has practiced against a very talented offense since March. They were challenged daily and acquitted themselves well. Wisconsin, by comparison, does not pose much of a threat other than the different looks they can provide.

Offensively, Notre Dame must find playmakers other than Williams and Faison. It is time for several players to make the leap from potential to production.

Wisconsin will strive to maintain a balanced attack by demonstrating the ability to run the ball. This task is made more difficult with two starters out on the right side of the offensive line. Still, running well is the only way the Badgers can make the contest competitive. Notre Dame's defense will feast on third and long situations and turnovers are likely to result.

Here are a few questions that will shed light on the outcome:

Will Notre Dame contain Joseph and force him into mistakes?

Which new Irish playmakers will emerge at tailback and receiver?

Will Carr demonstrate improved decision-making and passing accuracy?

Which team will control the line of scrimmage?

Will the Irish special teams contribute in a significant way?

Can Notre Dame's deep defensive line live up to its lofty expectations?

Will Notre Dame's secondary catch more passes than the Badger receivers?

Can the Irish demonstrate competency with the Lambeau Leap?

Freeman and Notre Dame have waited since November 29 of last year for this moment. Any baby conceived on or before that date has probably been born. Irish fans now eagerly anticipate the birth of a golden season with expectations not seen in decades. On Sunday we will begin to discover if those dreams are realistic. The journey will be long, however, with various ups and downs that are part of every football campaign. Players, coaches, and fans must focus on one opponent at a time to maintain equilibrium. After analyzing Sunday's matchup, I believe the Irish will pass this first test with flying colors.

Tell John what you think in the Comments section below.

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